SB Nation Cleveland - 2012 Memorial Tournament: Tiger Woods Wins 73rd Tour Event With Incredible Sunday Charge

Phil Mickelson Texted PGA Tour Commissioner During Opening Round At Memorial

2012-06-06T14:33:52Z

The 2012 Memorial came to a rousing finish on Sunday afternoon with the back nine charge of Tiger Woods, which clinched his 73rd Tour win to tie Jack Nicklaus. But the Tournament started with a bit of controversy on Thursday, as the power grouping of Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler, and Bubba Watson all complained of persistent use of and disruption from cellphone cameras by patrons on the course. All three players in the group had to repeatedly back off shots because of the distraction, which has become a growing problem.

Mickelson promptly withdrew at the end of his round, citing "mental fatigue" after an ugly opening 79. Lefty had played a fairly rigorous scheduled during the month of May and many suspected he needed to throttle down and prep for the U.S. Open. But the cellphone problem was also cited as a potential reason for the WD, with Mickelson making one of his patented stands against Tour policy and procedure. Now, two days after Woods' win, reports have surfaced that it got so bad that Mickelson texted Commissioner Tim Finchem directly from the course during his round to complain about the issue. Details after the jump:

Via Doug Ferguson of the AP:

According to four people with direct knowledge, Mickelson sent a text message to PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem from the sixth fairway at Muirfield Village suggesting that a lack of policing fans with cellphones was getting out of hand.

In the post-tournament press conference, Jack Nicklaus made a point of saying they needed to work on the cellphone problem and correct it for next year. It's still pretty remarkable and ironic that Mickelson would take the steps to stop his round and directly complain to the Commissioner.

For a complete recap of the 2012 Memorial Tournament, visit SB Nation Cleveland's StoryStream. For all news and information regarding the 2012 Memorial Tournament and all things PGA Tour, please visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub.

Tiger Woods Ties Jack Nicklaus, Captures 5th Memorial With 'Old Patterns'

2012-06-04T14:02:16Z

Tiger Woods is unlike any other golfer on Tour in so many ways, one of which is his handling of the media. He's mastered the the ability to speak for 30 minutes without actually ever saying anything. This is typically done with lingo that's come to be known as "Tiger speak," which consistently utilizes terms such as traj, process, motors, and old patterns.

While it wasn't the Hank Haney-influenced "old patterns" that so concern Woods and his coach Sean Foley, this week in Columbus, Tiger certainly put on a show replete with nostalgia. Woods captured his fifth tournament championship at the Memorial in dramatic fashion on Sunday, playing like "old Tiger," as people now like to demarcate. But it was also the less dramatic, less rousing work he put in throughout the week that made this win different and perhaps serve as a harbinger of more good things to come.

In the end, golf is a pretty simple game -- you need to hit it straight and make your putts. Woods converted the par-saving putts that have plagued his "comeback" over the past two years. He held on during his first round on Thursday, hitting six putts between six and ten feet to save pars and complete a red-numbered round. He built the momentum on Friday with another loop in the red, firing s 69 with a double bogey on the par-3 12th that played a big role throughout the week. His week seemed to stall out on Saturday when he shot a 1-over 73, but Muirfield yielded little to anyone that day and no one ran away with it.

MORE: Browns' Brandon Weeden Wears Rickie Fowler Uniform At Memorial

The work over first three days set up Sunday's final round full of "old Tiger" magic. As Golf Chanel's Brandel Chamblee (one of Tiger's biggest critics) said on Sunday night, his round was "clinical." He matched the low round of the day with a 67 that featured two crowd-igniting birdie streaks. Woods needed to make up a four-shot deficit, and even with leader Spencer Levin barely hanging on, he had to get to work quickly on the front side. His back-to-back-to-back birdies at holes five through seven promptly put the final group on notice. He then hit his rough patch around the turn, hitting three straight pulls and carding two bogeys. It could have been worse, but as was the case earlier in the week, his putter kept him in it as Levin came back to the pack one group behind.

Then there was the "old Tiger" who showed up for the final four holes, converting three birdies to walk away with a two-shot win over Rory Sabbatini. If he were to even have a chance, he had to take advantage of the opportunity at the par-5 15th, which he did. The follow-up to that, however, was the unexpected magic that turned the championship. Jack Nicklaus called the flop shot on No. 16 the greatest shot he's ever seen -- "ever." That was likely a bit of hyperbole from the greatest ever, caught up in the dramatic charge by Woods at his tournament on his design masterpiece. But just like the pre-fire hydrant days, the tournament was over right there. The unmistakable roar heard ahead by the final group may as well have served as the trophy presentation. However, Woods cleaned it up and removed all doubt with another birdie on the last after sticking a perfect approach shot within nine feet of the cup -- the final act of the Sunday's "stripe show" -- another Woods term he coined this week at Muirfield.

While it was a magical stretch of golf, the Sunday charge is indicative of nothing. The media proclaimed Woods the favorite at Olympic in two weeks. He won the game's other living legend's tournament, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, just two weeks before the Masters, where he finished a middling T40, his worst showing at Augusta. While the four-day stretch in Columbus was more impressive, and more dramatic, nothing is predictable right now with Woods.

Tiger started this month by perhaps hitting the lowest point of the past two-year "comeback" with a missed cut at Quail Hollow and an emphatically mediocre T40 at The Players. But this week seemed different than the win at Bay Hill, and Sunday afternoon certainly seemed like the "old Tiger." That version, who played the best golf in the history of the game, is likely never coming back in any sort of sustainable fashion so it's precarious to start forecasting his play for the U.S. Open. But for one week, he's certainly capable of putting it together and Sunday's hole-out at No. 16 was the "shot we've been waiting for for three years," as Jim Nantz put it. Whether you're a fan or not, it always makes for a more exciting Sunday afternoon.

Brandon Weeden Wears Rickie Fowler Uniform At Memorial

2012-06-03T22:17:14Z

New Cleveland Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden made the trip two hours south to Columbus this weekend to take in the 2012 Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village. A proud Oklahoma State Cowboy, Weeden spent the entire final round on Sunday following fellow OSU product Rickie Fowler ... in Rickie's trademark Sunday head-to-toe orange outfit. The Plain Dealer's Doug Lesmerises has the details on Weeden's gear:

Talked to Weeden, said he followed Fowler yesterday too, decided to buy the outfit at golf store this morning, got cap from Fowler
— Doug Lesmerises (@PDBuckeyes) June 3, 2012

Weeden didn't get to see Rickie at his best, as he fired one of his ugliest rounds as a pro, a 12-over 84. Playing in the second-to-last group, Fowler was out of contention early and simply along for the ride with Tiger Woods as he closed out his 73rd PGA Tour win. At least Weeden got see some of those heroics in his orange Puma gear. Photo of his outfit after the jump:

Photo via @osufan223:

Another shot courtesy of @GCarley:

For updates on the 2012 Memorial Tournament, continue to stay with SB Nation Cleveland's StoryStream. For all news and information regarding the 2012 Memorial Tournament and all things PGA Tour, please visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub.

2012 Memorial Tournament Results: Tiger Woods Ties Jack Nicklaus With 73rd Career Victory

2012-06-03T21:45:04Z

With a vintage final day performance, former No. 1 golfer Tiger Woods turned back the clock on Sunday with a two-stroke victory over Andres Romero and Rory Sabbatini to record his 73rd career PGA win.

Woods' victory, which officially tied him with legend Jack Nicklaus for second all-time in PGA wins behind Sam Snead's 82, came after he made a miracle round-saving birdie chip (video below) on the par-3 16th hole to take a one-stroke lead. In a surreal moment after his round ended, an impressed Nicklaus would mention to Woods that his unbelievable shot was the best he'd ever seen.

Woods carded a 5-under 67 on Sunday to pick up the win, edging a red-hot Romero, who also shot a 67 on Sunday, by two strokes. Out of his recent cold streak in big tournaments, Woods will take home $1.116 million of the $6.20 million purse for his efforts during the week. While it might be premature to call the game's most feared player officially 'back', his Sunday performance and clutch shot on No. 16 will make it extremely hard to count him out in the upcoming U.S. Open.

You can view the full Memorial leaderboard at Golf.com.

For more 2012 Memorial Tournament coverage, stay with SB Nation Cleveland's StoryStream.

VIDEO: Tiger Woods Sinks Incredible Flop Shot To Take Lead At 2012 Memorial

2012-06-03T21:40:51Z

Tiger Woods is poised to win his 73rd tournament on the PGA Tour, and his fifth Memorial. He has battled back from a four-shot deficit during an amazing Sunday final round, firing a 67 that was highlighted by one of the greatest shots you will ever see. Woods birdied three of the final four holes, to match the low round of the day and put himself in front of Rory Sabbatini by two shots. But the round and the likely win will always be remembered for the flop shot at No. 16. Tournament host Jack Nicklaus called it the best shot he had ever seen at Muirfield Village.

Video after the jump:

You can view the full Memorial leaderboard at Golf.com.

Tiger Woods Moves Into Share Of Lead With Miraculous Flop Shot On No. 16 At Memorial

2012-06-03T21:21:37Z

Tiger Woods now sits atop of the leaderboard of the 2012 Memorial after sinking an incredible flop shot on the difficult 16th hole at Muirfield Village. In what tournament host Jack Nicklaus called "One of the most incredible golf shots I think you'll ever see played," Woods was in almost an impossible situation where a flop shot anywhere in the range of six feet would have been considered a success. The birdie at No. 16 backed up a birdie at the earlier par-5 No. 15, which he had to get in order to give himself a chance. Tiger has a history of making impossible flop shots at Muirfield over the years, but this was perhaps the best he's ever pulled off at Jack's place. Nicklaus said, "That was the most unbelievable, gutsy shot that I've ever seen."

The back-to-back birdies pulled him even with Rory Sabbatini at 8-under for the lead. The temperamental South African has caught several bad breaks during his final Sunday round, but he pulled off a miraculous shot at the extremely difficult par-3 12th hole to put it within ten feet. He converted his birdie for a two shot swing with former leader Spencer Levin, who had been barely hanging on.

But Sabbatini will now have to deal with the roars ahead of him as Tiger finishes up his round looking to tie Nicklaus with his 73rd career victory on Tour.

You can view the full Memorial leaderboard at Golf.com.

2012 Memorial Tournament Update: Tiger Woods Reels Off 3 Straight Birdies

2012-06-03T19:26:23Z

The 2012 Memorial Tournament is truly starting to get interesting heading into the back nine on Sunday, as a red-clad Tiger Woods appears to be giving a vintage performance with three consecutive birdies.

Woods' run, which came on holes five through seven, moved him to 8-under par and one stroke behind leader Spencer Levin. A bogey at the eighth hole dropped Woods back to 7-under and two strokes away immediately thereafter, but his front nine 33 certainly set the table for a fantastic finish down the stretch if the onetime superstar can keep up the momentum.

Levin opened the day at 8-under par in the final group, and has held his ground nicely with a 1-under day through seven holes thus far. He will need to hold off a red-hot Woods and playing-partner Rory Sabbatini, who is also 7-under, in his bid to snag the $1.16 million winner's purse.

You can view the full Memorial leaderboard at Golf.com.

US Open 2012 Sectional Qualifier: Tee Times, Pairings And More

2012-06-03T14:27:17Z

The eyes of the golfing world are on Columbus this weekend with the Memorial Tournament being played in Dublin, Ohio, but that focus will remain on Monday when two courses in the Columbus area host a U.S. Open sectional qualifying tournament.

With the PGA Tour in town filling up the qualifying tournament, the USGA added an alternate qualifying tournament in Springfield, Ohio. The sectional qualifying tournaments offer golfers from all over the world a chance to make the field of the 2012 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. Players must endure 36-holes in one day with only a few spots available at each sectional qualifying tournament.

The Columbus area qualifying tournament will be held on two courses and is one of two "tour" sites (along with Memphis, TN) for PGA Tour players. Scioto Country Club and The Ohio State University Scarlet Course will be used for the large field of players. Here is a complete list of tee times for the Columbus sectional qualifying tournament.

The Springfield qualifying tournament will be held at the Springfield Country Club. Here are the tee times for the Springfield sectional qualifying tournament.